Here We Are Now

The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain

The author of the Kurt Cobain biography "Heavier Than Heaven" examines the legacy of the Nirvana frontman and discusses why he still matters twenty years after his death.On April 5, 1994, 27-year-old Kurt Cobain took his own life. His desperation to kick drugs, his complicated relationship with fame, his tortured soul--all these elements came together in one terrible moment, and the landscapes of music and pop culture were forever changed. Two decades have passed since Cross, a Seattle-based writer and early supporter of Nirvana, lived the horror of that day on the front lines, fielding the phone calls as the media descended. While the impact of a life is difficult to see on the day he dies, the long view provides a wider vista. Here, for the first time, Cross, author of the definitive Cobain biography, explores how the haunting memory of Cobain lives on in innumerable, and sometimes surprising, ways. Here We Are Now attempts to answer where we--the fans, the music business and fashion industry, the addiction and recovery communities, Kurt's family are, two decades later. Cobain's life and work can be seen everywhere, from his indelible marks on music to his more subtle influence on gender and gay rights, the way we view suicide and drug addiction, and the idea of Seattle as a cultural hub. Cobain and Nirvana are now part of a rite of passage through adolescence, and while "teen spirit" may have changed and evolved since the early nineties, the music remains authentic. Kurt Cobain changed the cultural conversation, in his all too brief life, and even after his shattering death. With interviews and commentary from all corners of the pop culture universe, this book explores what a singular life meant, and how that meaning can be measured, when and if it can be.--From publisher description.

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Super-fast, engaging read. The author included a perspective on the times in general which was interesting. That being said, I feel like Mr. Cross didn't do Kurt Cobain justice as a whole person & perpetuated this idea that Kurt was a broken sad addict that committed suicide. Though he had his struggles that just isn't true! There is also an overwhelming amount of evidence out that suggests he may have been murdered. Read "Love & Death".

Quick retrospective on Cobain's legacy from a contemporary perspective. Not my favorite work by Cross but it is notable as one of the only book-length pieces on Cobain's current cultural status.

BFS73
Mar 24, 2015

I agree Charles gives a lot of insights to what has happened to music after Kurts death in 1994. it pretty much has died since there has not been great rock and roll or any band or muscian who is in Kurts legend since the early 1990's with Nirvana and other Seattle and alternative bands. this book makes you wish for the 1990's to return again . good read reccomended to any Nirvana Kurt Cobain Seattle music scene fan!

For me, as a Cobain fan, this book just swallowed me up. As a Seattle resident, this book resonated powerfully. As a student of culture, I could not put it down and felt grateful for the penetrating analysis. As an appreciator of Charles Cross' work and insights, I was enlightened. If you listened to the radio in the early 1990s, you will relish this book. If you have lived through the technological change in music production and distribution in the last twenty years, you will find this book a powerful summary. This book is a short, easy read. But it will stay with you for a long time.